Reading spaces and bookshelves in 16 hospital waiting areas to encourage reading
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), a number of ‘Reading Corners’ have been created at Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital. The initiative by Dubai Culture — the Emirate’s dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage — creates reading spaces and bookshelves in 16 patient waiting halls that are packed full of stimulating literature, are part of Dubai Culture’s wider efforts to promote and inspire a positive reading habit for everyone in Dubai.
The ‘Reading Corners’ initiative is one of a number of Dubai Culture activities in support of the Year of Reading initiative, announced by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and supported by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
Director of Studies and Research Centre at Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Dr. Hessa Bin Masood said: “We are pleased to provide reading education and entertainment for the patients and families of Al Jalilah Children’s Specialty Hospital through this important initiative. This collaboration sees us making great steps towards achieving one of our main objectives of spreading the habit of reading among all members of the community by bringing books to the readers wherever they may be.”
Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital includes 200 beds, and is the first smart hospital in the Emirates and the largest hospital in the region to provide comprehensive and specialised health care services for children. Technologies at the hospital feature beds that include interactive screens, which allow patients to communicate with doctors directly from their rooms through text messages or visual calls whenever
Dubai Culture aims to enrich the cultural scene of Dubai, and draw attention to the Emirate’s rich heritage through a number of cultural initiatives all year round. The Authority’s mandate is to build bridges of constructive dialogue between different cultures that benefit citizens and residents all across the Emirate.
About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority:
The Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) was launched on March 8, 2008 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in order to drive the growth of the city’s artistic and cultural landscape. The Authority has grown to play a major role in the realization of the Dubai Plan 2021, to highlight Dubai as a thriving capital for creative industries and further embed the Emirate’s credentials as a city of happy, creative and empowered people.As part of its mandate, Dubai Culture has several initiatives that are focused on strengthening both the historic and modern cultural fabric of Dubai, including Dubai Art Season – the city’s premier umbrella arts initiative which kicks off with Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and encompasses Art Week including Art Dubai, Design Days Dubai, and SIKKA Art Fair, Middle East Film & Comic Con, SIKKA Art Fair – an annual event aimed at promoting Emirati and local artists in the UAE and the wider GCC region, Dubai Festival for Youth Theatre – an annual festival that fosters the art of theatre in the UAE and that is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016, and Dubai Next – a dynamic platform that aims to showcase the Emirate’s cultural ethos and its vibrant creative scene on the global stage.The Authority’s other key initiatives include Creatopia – the nation’s first government empowered virtual community that guides and nurtures the creative culture of the nation and provides a platform of information and opportunities that lead to exposure and personal growth.
Dubai Culture also plays a leading role in support of the UAE National Strategy for Reading 2026, in particular by undertaking a major refurbishment of all Dubai Public Library branches to transform them into state-of-art cultural and artistic hubs. Across all of its branches, Dubai Public Library also provides children and young adults with a range of educational and entertaining activities that encourage the use of its facilities. The ‘Our Summer is Filled with Culture & Arts Programme’ is a Dubai Public Library initiative which complements the UAE National Reading Strategy, with its activities open to all age groups, and which revolve around four key themes: happiness, reading, family and the future.
The Authority also manages more than 17 heritage sites across the Emirate, and is a key government stakeholder in the development of the Dubai Historical District. As the custodian Authority of Dubai’s museum sector, Dubai Culture will officially launch Etihad Museum and in December 2016. The museum will provide platform to encourage cultural exchange and to connect Emirati youth with their culture and history. As part of the Authority mandate to support Dubai’s vision of becoming the focal point of diverse cultural exchange (regionally & globally), the museums will play a catalyst role in preserving Emirati Heritage.
